Lufthansa Cancels Practically All Flights in Frankfurt and Munich, Stranding 130,000

Lufthansa Airways canceled just about all its flights out and in of Frankfurt and Munich on Wednesday, leaving greater than 130,000 vacationers scrambling, after round 3,000 staff walked off the job to protest for higher wages.

As of Wednesday night in Germany, the airline stated it had slashed 678 flights to and from Frankfurt and 345 flights to and from its Munich hub over the earlier 48 hours.

“Waiting for the approaching weekend, the beginning of the holiday season in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Lufthansa is working flat out to return flight operations to regular as shortly as attainable,” the corporate stated in a press release. The airline added that though it could attempt to rebook passengers on different flights, “the capacities obtainable for this are very restricted.”

The protest is scheduled to finish at 6 a.m. Thursday native time, in line with Dennis Dacke, an official for the United Companies Commerce Union, referred to as ver.di. Beginning at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, floor providers personnel, customer support brokers, airport check-in brokers and different “nonflying” Lufthansa staff who belong to ver.di walked off their jobs in Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin and different areas, he stated. If a Lufthansa agent picked up the telephone to assist somebody rebook a flight, the agent was possible exterior Germany, he added.

“Salaries should not excessive sufficient to account for inflation,” Mr. Dacke stated as clarification for the protest. The union is pushing for 9.5 % pay will increase for floor employees and a minimal wage of 13 euros an hour, or about $13 at present alternate charges, for logistics personnel.

In a press release, Lufthansa outlined pay will increase that it had already supplied throughout “beforehand constructive collective bargaining” and lamented the impression on passengers “throughout the peak journey season.” Flight attendants and pilots, who’ve their very own unions, didn’t take part within the protest.

The cancellations additionally affected different airways. Air Canada consolidated two flights between Toronto and Frankfurt right into a single flight with a bigger plane, the airline stated.